This weekend during my vacation I crawled out of bed first thing in the morning to run 5 miles. I didn’t really know where I was going, only that I was going to go 5 miles with my trusty GPS to guide me. The path was open to exploration and I plodded along looking for new directions to investigate.
About two thirds through the run I looked down a side street and saw a common view in the hill country….a fantastically steep hill! I wasn’t sure what would lie over the crest or where it would take me, but it was a challenge I was willing to take on and discover what sights I might be rewarded with as I reached the peak. Unfortunately what greeted me was a bend in the road to another subdivision of houses and an ugly view of the town’s water tank and power lines. I had charged up that hill, lungs burning and sweat dripping, but the truth is that the sweat WAS the reward.
Many times in life we sweat and burn, working late, taking on extra projects, giving extra effort in relationships, giving 110% and it seems that there is no reward at the end of the day, no glorious view or victor’s podium. The bigger picture reveals that when you put in the effort there are always internal rewards. Not only did I wake up before anyone else in the house to put in an hour of running, I pushed myself to beyond my comfort zone and took a more difficult path. My body is stronger and leaner for it, and I’m incredibly proud of myself for pushing myself just for ME. That was its own reward.
Similarly, in life, hard work is its own reward. Those extra hours at work, the devotion you put into your relationships, whatever you’re putting that extra energy into, pushing beyond your comfort zones, your character is strengthened, and that stays with you and shines through when then there IS a glorious mountain view awaiting you. And in that moment, you’ll realize just how precious those private moments of victory were. So keep pushing up those hills, and remember that one of them WILL have a stunning view worth all the struggle.
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